, 1887-06-04

the Indies, fancled thai he was not farfrom the
famous wealth of the east. Gold, indeed, was
found by the Spaniards to a limited extent
IN the larger islands, and later in really great
quantities on the main land; but in the is
lands, mining was soon surpassed as a source
OF wealth by the cultivation of sugar, cotton,
and tobacco, and these have remained, espe-
cially the first named, the true sources of
wealth to the West Indian Islands ever sincs.
The smaller islands, indeed, such as our own,
have known no other. subsisting solely on
their agriculture. It appears, however, that
she search for gold has quite recently
been revived in this part Of the world.
Our readers will have observed that we
have given them from time to time, from
the sAT9Osy and the Star d Herald,
accounts OF the discovery of the gold
held near the Venezuelan frontier of British
Guiana, the dispute over the boundary
question, the formation of mining companies
IN Georgetown, and the progress of the work.
1t seems that another gold field has recently
been discovered in Berbice. Only in our last
issue we gave an account Of the formation of
two large American companies for the work
ing OF gold mines in the isthmus of Panama,
and we find in a recent number of the
spectator an advertising page devoted to the
prospectus OF "The West Indian Gold Mining
corporation, limited" The Company's capt.
tai IS put at $1,750,000 in shares Of e5 each,
and 1t IS said to be formed for the purpose of
purchasing and working certain gold-bearing
lands IN San Domingo. An English engineer
who had been sent out to examine the pro-
perty reports favourably and assays are
said to have shown the quartz to
contain from l ounce 80 90 ounces of gold
per ton. There seems to be little doubt,
therefore, that the mining industry formerly
carried on by the Spaniards in Hispaniola
will be restored, and every likelihood that the
superiority of modern appliances will carry it
far ahead of the earlier attempts.
The cause of all this renewed activity in
the search for gold must be looked for in the
fact that gold has been growing dearer during
the past few years. For whatever account
we may give of the low price of staple pro-
ducts, whether we put it down to the search
ty Ct gold or to improved methods of proiuc-
ton and distribution, the fact remains that a
given quantity of gold will purchase much
more now than 1T would say 10 or II years
ago, and IS therefore much more worth trying
to get. The world has sufficient of many
things, but, strange to say, after the vast
quantities yielded by California and Australia,
still wants more gold. Hence the prospects
of gold-producing countries are brighter Just
~ VIGIL W. VI WIAC0U- SLOWl1St WOO1-SLON-
ing or sugar-growing countries.
This is all very well, it may be said, for
these countries which can furnish gold, but
is very poor consolation for those who, like
ourselves, have NO gold but what they can
raise by the sale of their canes.
That is very true; we must stand or fall,
no doubt, by our agriculture, and mainly by
our cane growing. We cannot help thinking,
however, that the c~easeless and amazing
growth of the United States, in wealth as
we'll as in population, affords US a hope of
some additional sources of subsistence. Steam
communication between these islands and
the States is on the increase. The Jamaicans
are preparing to take advantage of it by
forming a company for erecting a great hotel,
and the Barbadians have already built and
opened a large hotel OF the American plan
near Bridgetown. Our turn may come by and
by as the traffic increases. Then there is
the fruit traffic, at present in its infancy, but
which direct steam communication promises
to raise into Importance. After all, our north
side valleys may perhaps some day give a
little gold for the digging.